Box Score
        Box score, play-by-play
 
SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific Falcons needed one of those surges of momentum on Thursday afternoon, but just couldn't generate one.
 
SPU had only two leads all day and was swept aside by Azusa Pacific in its first match of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference-Pacific West Crossover Volleyball Tournament, 3-0.
 
Scores in Brougham Pavilion were 25-18, 25-16, 25-18.
 
"We had a tough time getting kills," said Falcons head coach Chris Johnson, whose team had just 24 to APU's 39. "I thought we passed well, and at times, we played good defense. But our defense still needs some work, and we've gotta learn how to be making better choices as hitters and go after it a little better."
 
Seattle Pacific (1-4) will play two matches on Friday, taking on Academy of Art at 1:30 p.m., and California Baptist at 8:30. The second one will wrap up the day's six-match schedule.
 
Azusa Pacific (1-4) came in winless. But three of those defeats came last week against nationally-ranked opponents, and the Cougars took sets off two of them, extending current No. 15 Nebraska Kearney to five games before falling short.
 
"Their players played well, and that was expected," Johnson said. "They were probably the best 0-and-4 team in the country. Seeing them on film, it was like, 'OK, you guys are better than your record.' They had some good arms, and it was nothing that we weren't expecting. But they executed much better than we did."
 
Freshman setter Symone Tran (Portland, Ore.) recorded SPU's first double-double of the season, earning 20 assists and coming up with 11 digs. She also had two solo blocks, the first two of her career.

 

Sophomore Hannah Lautenbach (Portland, Ore.) led the Falcons with seven kills, and hit .240. She also had five digs and two block assists. Senior outside hitter Ellie Britt (Orange, Calif.) added six kills, hit .211, and had a hand in three blocks, including one solo. Senior libero Breanne Wiekamp (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) came up with a team-leading 12 digs.
 
"Hannah played really well, and Breanne had a good match," Johnson said. "She was the best passer on our team for the day, and that's what we've come to expect from her. She has been doing a really good job of helping to lead the team and keep people's heads in it and keep our focus on the court. But it takes more than two people playing well to beat a team with six people playing well."

The Cougars took charge of Game 1 with a 9-2 run that turned a 2-2 tie into an 11-4 advantage. The Falcons never got closer than three.
 
SPU's only leads of the day were 1-0 and 2-1 in the second game. A 7-1 spurt put Azusa on top at 8-3, and it eventually widened to as many as nine.
 
At 8-8 in Game 3, another 7-1 run gave the Cougars the lead for good.
 
Seattle Pacific hit just .009 for the day (24 kills-23 errors-108 attacks). Azusa Pacific hit .213 (39-16-108).
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
GNAC-Pacific West Crossover Tournament
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.
 
Azusa Pacific 3, Seattle Pacific 0
 
Game scores – 25-18, 25-16, 25-18.
 
Service aces – APU 4 (Kristina Kam 2), SPU 2 (Sophie Kuehl 1, Hannah Lautenbach 1).
Kills – APU 39 (Katy Crouse 11), SPU 24 (Hannah Lautenbach 7).
Assists – APU 39 (Jewels Tavera 18), SPU 22 (Symone Tran 20).
Digs – APU 48 (Ashley Swatek 18), SPU 43 (Breanne Wiekamp 12, Tran 11).
Total blocks / solo – APU 18 / 1 solo (Crystal Dedes 5 / 1 solo), SPU 8 / 4 solo (Ellie Britt 3 / 1 solo, Tran 2 solo).
Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) – APU 39-16-108--.213 (Ally Gonzalez 10-3-18--.389), SPU 24-23-108--.009 (Lautenbach 7-1-25--.240).
Attendance – 82.
 
Records – Seattle Pacific 1-4. Azusa Pacific 1-4.
 
Next match – Seattle Pacific vs. Academy of Art, Friday, 1:30 p.m.